Manager of University Town Center mall here to build -- relationships

Published: Thursday, September 12, 2013 at 1:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, September 11, 2013 at 9:22 p.m.

When Octavio "Tav" Ortiz looks at the construction site of the Mall at University Town Center, he sees a project that will change the retail landscape of Southwest Florida -- his new home -- completely.

Dressed in a suit and a hardhat, Ortiz looks like a Taubman Center executive, carrying the professionalism and esteem the brand has built through the years with its mall properties in the U.S. and Asia.

Growing up in Houston -- and having lived in South Florida -- Ortiz does not once complain about the 90-degree heat flaring up from the asphalt of the mall's empty, half-built parking lot in the middle of September.

Ortiz, 47, is the new general manager of the 880,000-square-foot Mall at University Town Center, a $315 million shopping center at University Parkway and Interstate 75 being developed by local firm Benderson Development and Michigan-based Taubman Centers.

He was plucked from The Shops at Willow Bend in Plano, Texas, by Taubman Center executives and brought to Southwest Florida to lead the team opening the new regional mall anchored by Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue and Dillard's that is expected to open in October 2014.

"When I first arrived in Sarasota, there were two things I noticed right off the bat," Ortiz said. "The beaches are beautiful -- prettier than any other I've seen in Florida. And that there is a large gap in terms of retail in this area."

Ortiz, who bought a home in Lakewood Ranch with his wife and 14-year-old son, knows he has a lot of work ahead of him.

This is the fourth time he has been asked to open a new property, building a company's brand before the mall opens.

"This mall is so unique in that there is so much built up around it with what Benderson's doing both with retail and the amazing rowing facility," Ortiz said.

"Usually it's the other way around. A mall is built and the community starts to expand around it."

The earlier malls

Ortiz worked in management and marketing during the construction and openings of three Simon Property Group malls: the Discover Mills property in Lawrenceville, Ga., in 2001; Concord Mills in Concord, N.C., in 1999; and Grapevine Mills in Grapevine, Texas, in 1997, before joining Taubman Centers six years ago.

Ortiz will apply skills he learned at the previous properties to developing relationships with tourism groups, local hoteliers and other community groups now, a year before the Mall at University Town Center opens.

"Tav's past experience in marketing and developing malls before they open really showed our regional managers that he has the best qualities we need in a general manager," said Karen MacDonald, director of communications for Taubman Centers. "Plus, he understands the Florida market."

Nearly half of Taubman Centers' business comes from tourists, MacDonald said. "And with shopping being the No. 1 tourist activity and dining No. 2, we needed someone who really understands Florida, the seasonal residents and tourism," she said.

Florida beginnings

Ortiz started his retail career in Florida, after graduating from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.

A marketing job at the American Heart Association led to a marketing opportunity with Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise, the seventh-largest mall in the U.S. with more than 2 million square feet of retail space.

Ortiz worked his way up through the ranks and helped develop The Colonnade retail expansion at Sawgrass Mills in 2006.

At the Mall at University Town Center, Ortiz is working on plans for the mall's grand opening more than a year from now and developing ideas that will make this property different from others across the nation.

"We're figuring out how many electric car charging stations we want to fit into the parking lot right now," he said.

"And we're working to develop new smartphone apps for customers."

Taubman plans to use the developing retail hub as a testing ground for new digital, interactive tools aimed at combating online shopping and "showrooming," in which shoppers use brick-and-mortar stores to try out products before buying them more cheaply online. Free Wi-Fi and other services are still in works.

But for now, Ortiz plans to start forming relationships with leaders in the community, MacDonald said.

He plans to attend the Economic Development Corp. of Sarasota's annual luncheon today and will continue to make regular "road shows" at Sarasota-Bradenton area groups this year.

<p>When Octavio "Tav" Ortiz looks at the construction site of the Mall at University Town Center, he sees a project that will change the retail landscape of Southwest Florida -- his new home -- completely.</p><p>Dressed in a suit and a hardhat, Ortiz looks like a Taubman Center executive, carrying the professionalism and esteem the brand has built through the years with its mall properties in the U.S. and Asia.</p><p>Growing up in Houston -- and having lived in South Florida -- Ortiz does not once complain about the 90-degree heat flaring up from the asphalt of the mall's empty, half-built parking lot in the middle of September.</p><p>Ortiz, 47, is the new general manager of the 880,000-square-foot Mall at University Town Center, a $315 million shopping center at University Parkway and Interstate 75 being developed by local firm Benderson Development and Michigan-based Taubman Centers.</p><p>He was plucked from The Shops at Willow Bend in Plano, Texas, by Taubman Center executives and brought to Southwest Florida to lead the team opening the new regional mall anchored by Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue and Dillard's that is expected to open in October 2014.</p><p>"When I first arrived in Sarasota, there were two things I noticed right off the bat," Ortiz said. "The beaches are beautiful -- prettier than any other I've seen in Florida. And that there is a large gap in terms of retail in this area."</p><p>Ortiz, who bought a home in Lakewood Ranch with his wife and 14-year-old son, knows he has a lot of work ahead of him.</p><p>This is the fourth time he has been asked to open a new property, building a company's brand before the mall opens.</p><p>"This mall is so unique in that there is so much built up around it with what Benderson's doing both with retail and the amazing rowing facility," Ortiz said.</p><p>"Usually it's the other way around. A mall is built and the community starts to expand around it."</p><p><b>The earlier malls</p><p></b></p><p>Ortiz worked in management and marketing during the construction and openings of three Simon Property Group malls: the Discover Mills property in Lawrenceville, Ga., in 2001; Concord Mills in Concord, N.C., in 1999; and Grapevine Mills in Grapevine, Texas, in 1997, before joining Taubman Centers six years ago.</p><p>Ortiz will apply skills he learned at the previous properties to developing relationships with tourism groups, local hoteliers and other community groups now, a year before the Mall at University Town Center opens.</p><p>"Tav's past experience in marketing and developing malls before they open really showed our regional managers that he has the best qualities we need in a general manager," said Karen MacDonald, director of communications for Taubman Centers. "Plus, he understands the Florida market."</p><p>Nearly half of Taubman Centers' business comes from tourists, MacDonald said. "And with shopping being the No. 1 tourist activity and dining No. 2, we needed someone who really understands Florida, the seasonal residents and tourism," she said.</p><p><b>Florida beginnings</p><p></b></p><p>Ortiz started his retail career in Florida, after graduating from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.</p><p>A marketing job at the American Heart Association led to a marketing opportunity with Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise, the seventh-largest mall in the U.S. with more than 2 million square feet of retail space.</p><p>Ortiz worked his way up through the ranks and helped develop The Colonnade retail expansion at Sawgrass Mills in 2006.</p><p>At the Mall at University Town Center, Ortiz is working on plans for the mall's grand opening more than a year from now and developing ideas that will make this property different from others across the nation.</p><p>"We're figuring out how many electric car charging stations we want to fit into the parking lot right now," he said.</p><p>"And we're working to develop new smartphone apps for customers."</p><p>Taubman plans to use the developing retail hub as a testing ground for new digital, interactive tools aimed at combating online shopping and "showrooming," in which shoppers use brick-and-mortar stores to try out products before buying them more cheaply online. Free Wi-Fi and other services are still in works.</p><p>But for now, Ortiz plans to start forming relationships with leaders in the community, MacDonald said.</p><p>He plans to attend the Economic Development Corp. of Sarasota's annual luncheon today and will continue to make regular "road shows" at Sarasota-Bradenton area groups this year.</p>